April 05, 2007
No Fudge: The Mystery of the Missing Stooges' SXSW Bass Line
After Mike Watt's bass amp dropped out during a performance of "Skull Ring" at the Stooges' SXSW show at Stubb's, Austin American-Statesman writer Michael Corcoran speculated that the band may have used backing tapes:
A couple of disappointments: 1) it appears that the Stooges play to taped augmentation. This was revealed when the bass line for “Skull Ring” kept pumping while bassist Mike Watt was working amp problems with his sound tech. It’s OK to use the canned help, but never let the audience know.
On the same post, Stooges saxophonist Steve Mackay responded, "I guess I should be flattered to have been mistaken for a taped augmentation but I was right there on the stage playing the riff on my tenor sax, just like always!"
After a response from the Stooges publicist saying the Stooges were never augmented, Corcoran admitted, "I saw what I saw — moments when both hands were off the bass — but who am I to dispute the greatest band to ever play SXSW? Let me set the record straight: Stooges don’t fudge!"
But this Wednesday in a letter to the editor, Iggy himself chimed in with the definitive last word (we hope?):
Re: March 19 concert review "Stooges let loose, put raw power on display." This rebuttal of Michael Corcoran's review is by a member of the Stooges:
Mike, dude, I would never, ever, ever play music to a freakin' tape. For real. This just never happened and never will happen.
What you probably heard is Ron Asheton's ability to play that riff picking a mid-range motif while also picking and sliding a bass line. This derives from blues players like Fred McDowell, for example. You definitely won't hear it on a Fall Out Boy record.
Have you ever heard a real guitar player? Playing live? That's how they do. You also heard Steve Mackay on sax backing Ron up. At the moment the bass went out, I, too, was amazed at how good it sounded without him.
I will happily slit my throat if you can find anyone backstage at that gig who saw us (fooling) around with a piece of (freakin') tape. We're the Stooges, and in my world tape is not alright. It's fat, rich and uncool.
Sorry about the guitar levels. This show was a freebie, so we left our sound man at home.
IGGY POP
Miami
'Nuff said! And there you have it, writers—one sentence can truly spawn a monster.
Posted by timothompson at 06:31 PM
April 02, 2007
New PSF
Neu Perfect Sound Forever – I haven't read it yet, but I'm sure it'll make me ZOMB OUT.
Posted by timothompson at 07:23 PM